I must start this post with a rant:

Have I mentioned that I love fall weather? Well, I do. It’s my favorite season for weather.

I’m pretty sure I haven’t shared how I feel about fall allergies. I hate them. Hate. Them. For example, today is gor-ge-ous: 70 degrees, sunny, and breezy. And for me, this beauty is accompanied by a headache, shortness of breath, sneezing, and the occasional nosebleed. Why oh why is it that the most beautiful weather of the year brings with it the most evil pollen (ragweed) on earth?

Okay, that’s enough venting. It’s not what I planned to write about anyway. Yesterday Maggie at Magnanimity tagged me for a meme! (It’s kind of like a chain letter, but without threat of bad luck or bodily harm.)

I’m supposed to list the top five ways blogging has affected my life. Fun!

I am nothing if not loquacious (and apparently take too much pride in my vocabulary), so I can’t limit myself to five total.

Also, so you don’t have to wade thru the entire post to find them, here are the five people I’m tagging to write on this next. Check them out.

1.         Heidi

2.         Rachel

3.         Alece

4.         Tina

5.         Amy

Now, without further ado, here are some GOOD ways blogging has affected me, followed by some NOT-SO-GOOD.

The Good:

1. It keeps me honest. By blogging I invite you into my inner life and share what I’m really thinking. What I might not share at a dinner party or playdate. Also, because I’ve chosen not to remain anonymous, I have to make sure my blog words match the actions my real-world friends and family see.
2. It forces me to reflect. And I am not the most reflective person normally. I’m forgetful, I tend to live in the moment, and when it comes to negative feelings, I’m the Queen of Denial. With blogging, I have to reflect – otherwise I’ll run out of stuff to say.
3. It’s increased my self-confidence. The wonderful encouragement from readers has boosted my belief in my writing ability. And the fact that I’ve stuck with this since July has helped me trust my newfound self-discipline. Kind of.
4. It shows me I’m not alone. Isn’t it great to be validated? We women don’t seem to trust ourselves – as parents, as friends, as wives, as sane human beings. When I talk about one of my mistakes, I really appreciate the encouragement that comes from others who say, “I’ve been there too.”
5. It’s widened my circle of friends – regardless of miles and oceans between us. I now have cyberfriends in a dozen states and at least three other countries. That is just too cool!

The Not-So-Good:

1. It makes me too introspective sometimes. Charlie and I were talking about the writer’s life, and he mentioned how he read that writers live inside their heads. I relate to that. At times I get so involved in recording/reflecting on life that I can miss out on participating in it.
2. It ties me to my computer too much. My confession: I have an unhealthy addiction to escaping. Pre-computers, I did it through reading. When life gets overwhelming, I withdraw into another world, one that distracts me from conflict or pain. Blogging can offer a too-easy escape. I’m still learning to draw boundaries on it.
3. It feeds an unhealthy need for validation. Validation can be good. But when you find yourself checking your stats and comments once an hour, it might be out of balance. Just sayin. Still working on this too.
4. It is my latest obsession, so I don’t know if it’ll stick. Last Christmas I asked for a sewing machine. Last summer I started crocheting. Before that I threw myself into editing, freelance copywriting, scrapbooking, pottery, needlepoint, and PR. Crochet has stuck around so far, but I fear it’ll find its way to the back of my closet with the other hobbies. This bothers me because a) I really enjoy crocheting and I’m pretty good at it; and b) I fear that blogging might be just another hobby that I abandon when something better comes along.

Wowie. If you’re still reading this, I admire your persistence. I guess I had a lot to say about blogging.

Overall, I am SO glad I’m doing it. I still believe it’s what God’s called me to – at least for now. And in less than two months, he’s already grown me a lot through it.

Thank you for joining me on the journey.

Steph